Farrow's Revenge
by toxic petals
Summary: When a man goes out to ruin Gibbs, how does he go about it? By turning the person he cares most about against him, of course. Abby Sciuto. Rated T for now... Crime/Drama, and Romance. Title may be changed.  WIP
1. Meeting

**A.N. – Yes, I know I already have an N.C.I.S. WIP up. I also know that I haven't updated that in a while. But this story is begging to be posted. I finished this chapter a few weeks ago and the next one is nearly written (most of it was written in one night, so that means I **_**really**_** like this story). I sincerely hope this turns out as good as it seems to in my head/on the plot map.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to N.C.I.S. All characters, settings, and objects familiar to the show are not mine. I am not making any money off of this fan fiction; it is purely for entertainment purposes only. Thank you and enjoy.**

**Chapter One: Meeting**

Abigail Sciuto, Abby to most, smiled to herself; today had been a great day. She'd discovered 'who-dun-it,' Gibbs and the team caught the 'baddie' without getting a scratch and all was right in the world. Now, if only _everyday_ was this perfect.

As she shut down her babies, thanking them for a job well done, she pondered which bar to go to tonight. Usually, when things went this well, the team went out for drinks together. However, tonight she was going alone. Ducky had a prior engagement, McGee was taking his sister out for a little 'sibling bonding,' Ziva had plans that she wasn't divulging, and Tony had been going on and on about the babe he was going out with all day so, needless to say, he was busy too. That just left Gibbs. But then he decided he just wanted a quiet evening in his basement working on his boat.

Abby sighed. She would have happily sat in the basement with him, his boat, and the good old bottle of bourbon, but she knew it would be a bad idea. Lately, it seemed, spending time alone with Gibbs outside of work was taking its toll on her and she didn't know how much longer she could control her feelings. Gibbs was exceptionally observant, but he could still be pretty dense at times. Still, she just wasn't ready to risk it... yet.

As she left the building and climbed into her hearse she decided to just stop at the bar only a block or so from her apartment. She'd have a couple of drinks then head home to spend the night alone... again.

"Your usual, Abby?" Jake asked, smiling in greeting. She nodded as her face lit up in a warm return smile. Settling into one of the stools at the counter she slipped off her cloak and set her bag down beside her as to keep an eye on it.

"Thanks, Jake," she said warmly as he set the drink down in front of her on one of the cardboard coasters that littered the counter and surrounding tables.

"Not at all," he said with a flirtatious smile that Abby was used to. "So, where are those hot agents of yours? It's been a while since I've seen all of you together here. Don't you usually go out as a group after a case?" Abby's smile dimmed a bit, but didn't disappear as she took a drink of the vodka and Red Bull mixture.

"Usually, yes. Tonight though, most of them were busy," was all she said.

"You said most. Who wasn't but didn't come to keep your gorgeous self company?" Abby shrugged, drinking more so she wouldn't have to say anything. "Come on; lay it all out for me. Was it Tony?" he asked. She shook her head in the negative.

"Not McGee, was it? I don't think he'd ditch you for almost anything."

"Nope. He's with his sister," was her only reply.

"Ziva?" Again she shook her head 'No.' "Don't tell me the great Leroy Jethro left you to drink alone! That silver haired fox of yours wouldn't leave you to fend for yourself on any account." This time Abby didn't respond at all.

"That dog." Jake grumbled as the answer became clear. "I gotta get back to work, Abbs. But if it's any conciliation, that hottie by the window hasn't taken his eyes off of you since we started talking." Jake called over his shoulder as he walked off to service the couple that had just walked into the bar.

Abby sighed into her drink, not bothering to look over her shoulder at the supposed hottie that had been eyeing her up. Normally, on days like today, she wouldn't say no to a little casual but harmless flirting. But she just hadn't been feeling it lately. _'Maybe I'm just getting old,'_ she thought wryly before chuckling into her drink.

"Care to let me in on the joke?" an older male voice asked as the chair beside her became occupied.

"Nothing really, just thinking to myself," Abby replied as she eyed the man next to her. He was a bit older than her, possibly around Gibbs' age but a year or two younger. His hair was a salt and pepper grey and he had a tan complexion that spoke of outdoor working, as well as a body that looked strong from hard work. He was dressed casually in a day to day jeans and t-shirt ensemble. To Abby he looked perfectly ordinary, but something in his eyes hinted at a darkness within. They almost reminded her of Gibbs eyes.

He introduced himself as Jason and as they shook hands in greeting she couldn't help but notice that his hands were callused and rough in almost the same manner as Gibbs'. They continued to talk as they sat together, drinking. Abby began noticing things subconsciously that reminded her of Gibbs. The way he preferred the heavier drinks, whisky and bourbon. The way his voice got almost imperceptibly deeper after a large swig. Even the way he spoke, short and straight to the point, reminded her of Gibbs.

Suddenly Abby looked at her watch at a glance and gasped. She'd been there nearly three hours! She apologized profusely as she began gathering her bag and donning her cloak, explaining that she'd stayed longer than she'd planned for and needed to head home. As she was about to leave he stopped her by the arm for a moment and handed her a business card with a murmur of 'Just in case.' She smiled as she slid the card into her pocket and headed out into the night, paying Jake on her way out.

As soon as she left the man she'd left behind sat back down with a smile on his thin, slightly cracked lips. Everything would work out this time around; he just had to be patient.

-0-

Abby arrived at her apartment soon after leaving the bar. As she shut and locked the door behind her she leaned against it to slide off her platform boots. She placed her bag on the couch and emptied her cloaks pockets of her keys, a gum wrapper, and the business card the man at the bar had handed her. As she looked at it she read the name Jason Farrow, beneath it simply said "Handy Man" and listed a local number. Beneath that, a second number following the letter C was scrawled in hasty chicken scratch. Abby smiled as she set the card and her keys on the dining room table and tossed the gum wrapper in the trash before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower and then crawling into bed.

As she wrapped the sheets tightly around her tired body she thought that perhaps tonight hadn't been so lonely after all.


	2. Morning Routines

**A.N. – I can't tell you how floored I was when I saw how many people read the first chapter of this story. And to top it off, I even got reviews! I just couldn't wait to post the next one so I pretty much sat myself down and refused to budge until I got more written for you all. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Oh, and sorry about all the jumping around. I hope that no one is confused by it.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own N.C.I.S. I never will and that's fine with me… I would just ruin it.**

**Chapter Two: Morning Routines**

Leroy Jethro Gibbs woke up alone in bed as usual. He grunted as he heaved his still tired and aching body off the bed and headed to the shower. It was a normal morning of routine for him. Wake up in bed alone, get up, shower, sip coffee at the kitchen table as he read the newspaper, and eventually head into work, stopping for another coffee and a Caf-Pow! on the way in. As he waited for his order to be filled by the over-worked barista he glanced around the coffee shop. Nothing really stood out, not that he was looking.

There was a married couple sitting together at one of the window seats and drinking their coffees, a business woman sharply dressed in a two-piece suit tapping her manicured nails against her briefcase as she waited for the two construction workers in front of her to place their orders, and a few people at various other spots throughout the café. Most of the sitting people were in couples or groups. There was one lone man sitting and drinking a large black coffee almost out of sight as he read the paper. Gibbs hardly glanced towards him before the barista called him up to collect his order. As he turned around to head out he saw the man look at his lit-up cell phone with a smile before setting it down without answering. Gibbs thought this odd, but left anyways. He had a delivery to make to a special forensic scientist before he got called out to a scene.

-0-

Abby woke tangled in the sheets. She sighed as she unwrapped herself and headed to her closet to grab an outfit before heading to the bathroom to change. Normally, she took her showers in the mornings, but when she went to the bars or just had a long day, she took one at night. As she glanced at the clock, she thanked her lucky stars that she'd done so the previous evening as it seemed her alarm forgot to go off this morning.

She rushed through her morning routine, throwing on her clothes and make-up quickly while waiting for her toast to finish cooking before dashing out the door, locking it behind her. She raced out of the apartment and into her hearse only to have it stall. Groaning as she got out she began figuring how much it would cost her at the mechanics this time, heading up the stairs as she began dialing Director Vance's assistant's desk from her cell. The assistant assured Abby that she would notify Vance of her car acting up and told her not to worry. But of course, being Abby, she worried. She just hoped that Gibbs wouldn't have any evidence until she could get to work.

As she re-entered her apartment she set her bag and keys back on the table and went to hunt down a phone book so she could get a mechanic on the job as soon as possible. Just as she was sitting back down with the phone book and her cell phone in hand she spotted Jason's business card from the night before. It just said handy man, so she couldn't be sure how good he'd be with cars. And besides, she'd only met him last night. So she pulled up the phone book and began dialing her usual mechanic.

After talking with him for twenty minutes though, she began to wonder if Jason would be cheaper. She told Marty, the mechanic that usually looked at her car, that she'd have to get back to him and they hung up. She picked up Jason's card and bit her lip in thought. '_It couldn't hurt to ask if he knew anything about cars, could it?_' she asked herself. And with that she began dialing the first number listed on the card.

After getting the machine on what she assumed to be Jason's home phone, she hung up and dialed the second number. It, too, went unanswered so this time she left a message.

"Hi, Jason," Abby said, feeling a bit foolish for calling him after only meeting him the previous evening. "This is Abby from the bar last night. We talked for a while and I recall you mentioning something about working a bit with cars, and, well, my hearse won't start this morning so I was wondering if you could possibly take a look at it. I'm taking a cab into work, but if you call this number you can reach me. I'll leave my cell on. If you can't help, that's fine. Hope to hear from you soon." Hanging up she finally called a local cab service to pick her up and take her into N.C.I.S.

-0-

When Abby finally arrived at N.C.I.S. and got down to her lab she found that she was two hours later than what she normally would have been. She started up her machines and began getting ready for another day of work when she noticed the large Caf-Pow! in the cooler. She smiled widely as she pulled it out, plucking a post-it off the cap before gleefully sipping the sweet, overly caffeinated beverage that she was nearly addicted to. In writing that was only too familiar to her she read "Call me when you get in." There was no signature but she knew full well who it was written by. Smirking she sat down in her favored spinning wheeled chair she picked up the phone and pressed the digits to send her to Gibbs desk line.

"Gibbs," was his terse reply.

"You said to call?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"Yeah," he replied a grin slowly working over his features. "Vance mentioned you were having car troubles. I just wanted to make sure you got in okay."

"Uh huh," Abby said in a clearly unconvinced tone that voiced her smile. "I got in fine. I'm just waiting around on a call from someone that might be able to help with my car. Other than that, today's just like any other."

"Need a ride home?" Gibbs asked. Abby paused before answering.

"I might," was all she said.

"Alright, call me later if you do," was Gibbs last words to her over that phone call as he disconnected before she could respond.

Setting down the phone she sighed. She'd wanted to say a whole-hearted yes; to exclaim it even. But she had needed to play it cool. Not only was spending time outside of work with Gibbs getting to be dangerous territory (even something as simple as a car ride was completely un-nerving), but if Jason called, he might offer her a ride as well. And although she'd pick Gibbs over any Jason Farrow, she had to keep in mind that she was still just a co-worker, and it was still just a ride to him.

-0-

Farrow glanced at his watch before dialing Abby's cell. It was just a little after noon; he'd waited so it would seem he was busy. No need for her to think him a puppy chomping at the bits; he'd let her come to him. Her car acting up was a complete fluke, he didn't even plan that. It seemed that he wouldn't have to 'casually' meet her at the bar every so often, he had his own ticket to 'Pass Go' as it were. It seemed that fate agreed with him and his plan was going to come into action sooner rather than later.

**A.N. (part two) – I couldn't wait to post this update. I was astounded at how many hits this story got and just really wanted to finish the chapter to see what you all thought! I don't know how quickly I'll get the next update out as I haven't started it yet. But, believe me, I have big plans for this story! Also, I don't have a beta so any mistakes you find in any chapter of this or any other story, feel free to P.M. me about. Thanks.**


	3. That Gut Feeling

**A.N. – Thank you to every one for the reviews, alerts, and favorites. I appreciate every single one that I get, even the reader count number going up makes me happy! I hope you enjoy this update, I'm still not entirely pleased with it… but it's the best version so far.**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own N.C.I.S. I'm writing for my amusement and personal satisfaction, nothing more.**

**Chapter Three: That Gut Feeling**

Abby smiled as she walked back into the N.C.I.S. building. She wasn't one that normally went out for lunch, with someone she hardly knew, no less. But Jason was a hard guy to say no to. Where most guys around his age were usually pretty calm and collected, he was fun and flirty. He gave as good as he got when Abby began her usual flirty banter. She didn't even try in the beginning; she was just a naturally flirty and charming woman. But when he began countering her quips with some of his own, Abby began pulling out her censor for some of her normal remarks that she wouldn't even dare say at work.

Over all, it had been an enjoyable lunch. She'd met him down the street from the Navy Yard at a coffee and sandwich shop where they'd had a quick lunch and talked a bit. He'd brought up her car towards the end of their lunch, asking if she'd still like him to take a look at it.

"_If it's not too much trouble," she'd said as they began walking out of the café._

"_It's not. I've got to head back to work, but I get off about 5:30 this evening. If you want, I could meet you here around six and give you a ride home," Jason offered._

"_Yeah, that'd be great," Abby had replied, smiling. "I should be able to get off by that time. I'll call you if something comes up though."_

"_Alright," he said, "I'll catch you later." He'd turned and left after that; waving and walking down the street to where his car was parked._

Soon after arriving in her lab, she became bored. Most of the teams were working on cold cases; it had been a pretty dull day. The evidence from the few active cases being worked was processed quickly, and the few left over pieces where being taken care of by machines. She figured she had about twenty minutes before anything conclusive would pop up and decided to see how Team Gibbs was doing with their paperwork.

As soon as the elevator's doors opened on the bull pen, she laughed. She only had a view of Ziva and Gibbs, but she could hear McGee complaining about Tony. Ziva seemed to be working diligently on her paperwork, but every so often her eyes would glance over at the paper clips and rubber bands near the edge of her desk and almost imperceptibly her jaw would flex and her fingers would tighten on the pen in her hand to make sure she didn't grab them. Gibbs' eyes were slowly narrowing, as if deciding who deserved the head slap more and just how hard it should be.

As Abby came nearer she saw just what was going on between Tony and McGee. McGee's desk, as well as the carpet surrounding it, was littered with crumpled balls of paper and paper airplanes. McGee was trying hard to ignore it but it seemed too much and now he was throwing the paper missiles back at Tony with a fury as he muttered about his partner's childish antics.

"Enjoying yourselves, boys?" she asked as McGee made to get up from his desk. McGee relaxed back into his seat somewhat, frowning as Tony threw one last paper bomb.

"Yeah," Tony said with his usual smirk. "Come to join the fun?"

"Nah," Abby laughed. "I just came up for some entertainment. I take it you're not _all_ enjoying your paperwork?"

"DiNozzo seems to be; I don't really know how much of it is actual _work_ though," Gibbs said with a raised eyebrow as he stared down his senior field agent. Tony's grin fell quickly from his face and he and McGee both quietly began working furiously on their forms again. Out of the corner of her eye, Abby saw Ziva smirk in satisfaction that the distraction was over… for now, at least.

As silence once again reigned over the squad room, Abby walked over to Gibbs' desk.

"So, it turns out I don't need a ride after all," Abby said, leaning her hip against his desk. Gibbs said nothing; a slight nod of his head as he continued skimming over the page in hand was her only clue that he'd heard. She shrugged after a beat or two, not really having much else to say for once, and headed back down to her lab to see where her babies were at with their tests.

-0-

As soon as Abby left, Gibbs set down his pen. Taking off his glasses, he scrubbed his face roughly with one hand as though trying to convince himself of something. He wasn't certain just what he was trying to convince himself of; all he knew was that his gut was telling him something was off.

-0-

Abby glanced up at the clock again, it was about half past five now and she had no more tests to run for the day. She began shutting down each of her machines, figuring she'd stop by the bull pen one last time before heading out as during her last visit the group hadn't been very talkative. She hung up her lab coat and grabbed her things before looking over the lab once more; seeing everything in its place she shut off the lights before walking over to the elevator and heading up to say good night to her favorite group of agents. When she arrived, however, only three of the agents were present. Her favorite being the one missing in action.

"Hey Abbs," Tony said, looking up and spotting her. "Leaving already?"

"Yeah, my car's acting up again and my ride is picking me up soon. I just came up to say good bye before I left," she explained. "Where's the Bossman?"

"I think he went for a coffee run," McGee told her. Her shoulders sagged a bit, not enough to truly be noticeable unless you were looking though.

"Oh, okay. Well, you guys know how to reach me if something comes up," she said before walking away. Calling out one last farewell of the day, she stepped into the elevator.

-0-

Gibbs stood outside the coffee shop sipping his brew, eyes sweeping over the street in an almost trained manner. Finally, he saw Abby coming down the walk towards him but noticed she hadn't even spotted him. He watched from near the doors of the coffee shop as she walked slowly past the parked cars and eyed the driver's side in each. Just as he was about to call her over to ask what she was doing, a voice from behind him called out her name. Her glowing smile froze him as she looked past him to the man calling her.

She walked past Gibbs to another man. As Gibbs watched him hold the door and shut it for her something in him whispered that that should be him. He ignored the voice and watched as the man jogged around to the driver's side to get in. Just as the man was about to sit down, Gibbs caught sight of his face and his breathing stopped. It couldn't be him, it just couldn't be.

**A.N. (Part Two) – Sorry it took so long to update… the chapter was being somewhat difficult and I was busy helping with a wedding. Who knew the babysitter had such a huge role in a wedding? I'm dead serious too… I'm exhausted from helping set up and take down everything! Plus, my internet connection is gone again so I have to wait to go to the library or nearby coffee shop in order to update… MMMMM, coffee.**


	4. Frustrated Phone Calls

**A.N. – Just read and hopefully enjoy… I'll talk in the second Author's Note.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. Enough said.**

**Chapter Four: Frustrated Phone Calls**

"What do you say we head over to my place for some dinner and afterwards I can come over to take a look at your car?" Jason suggested as they drove away from the coffee shop - and unknown to Abby, Gibbs as well.

"Alright," Abby agreed. "What's on the menu?"

"What do you think about spaghetti? My brother's ex-wife had a great recipe that she used to use for it," he said, his voice changing pitch for a moment. Abby caught the slight tremor in his voice and looked at him in concern.

"I'm sure it'll be great," she said kindly with a friendly smile on her face.

They rode in silence for a bit longer before Abby decided to ask Jason about his brother and the relationship that seemed to have ended painfully. Just as she opened her mouth to speak though, they pulled into a small driveway.

"We're here," Jason said with a smile as he parked the car. He got out and once again jogged to the passenger door, to open it for Abby.

"Ever the gentleman, aren't you Jason?" she teased as she grabbed his extended hand while getting out.

-0-

"Damn it," Gibbs growled as he fought with his cell phone to call McGee, running all the while towards the Navy Yard.

"Agent Timo-"

"McGee! Get a location on Abby's cell; see where she's headed. Tell Ziva and DiNozzo to stop packing up, they're not going anywhere yet."

"Sure, yeah, on it Boss." McGee said into the receiver. In the background Gibbs could hear DiNozzo grumble about 'another long night' just barely over McGee's fingers pounding the keys.

"Uh, Boss?" McGee asked uncertainly as he continued to type. "Abby isn't in any sort of trouble is she?"

"Just do it McGee! I'll be there in a minute. You get anything before I'm there, call me." And with that Gibbs snapped his phone shut, hurrying as much as he could to get up to his team.

-0-

"What is going on McGee?" Ziva asked the agent as he typed commands into his computer at a furious pace. "Is Abby hurt?"

Both she and DiNozzo were now standing in front of McGee's desk, looking expectantly at him.

"Give me a minute, guys." McGee told them as he picked up his desk-top phone and dialed a number quickly.

"Abby?" he asked into the phone. "Where are you?"

"I'm at a friend's, having dinner. Why, do we have a case?" Abby's voice could be heard replying.

"No, we don't have a case, but Gibbs just called and asked me to trace your cell… he sounded worried."

"Geeze, McGee! Can't I ever have a night off? I'm fine, okay?" she shouted, causing McGee to hold the phone away from his ear.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. Just give him a quick call. Please? Before he goes and hunts you down. Gotta go!" McGee hung up just as the bell rang, signaling the arrival of the elevator.

-0-

"I'm really sorry, Jason," Abby said as soon as she hung up with McGee, flushing slightly at the volume she had used. "Sometimes my co-workers forget that I have a life. I just have to call my boss and then I'll help you with that spaghetti, okay?" She asked, hoping to make up for her rude behavior.

"Don't worry about it, Abby; I understand. You call that boss of yours while I get the meat and sauce started." Abby nodded as he went around the corner and down a hallway to the kitchen.

Looking back down at the phone in her hand, she dialed Gibbs' cell from memory. After a single ring, he answered.

"Abby," he said frantically. "Where are you?"

"Out, Gibbs," Abby said, a bit more bite in her tone than she meant. "I'm out with a friend. Look, if it's not case related can we do this some other time?"

"No, Abby; we can't do this some other time. Do you know who you're with right now? Do you have any idea who your _friend_ is?"

"Yes, Gibbs, as a matter of fact, I _do_ know who I'm with. Why does any of this even concern you?" Abby snapped into the phone. _'What is his deal?'_ she asked herself.

"Abbs trust me, please. You're not safe there – wherever you are." Gibbs tone was insistent, pleading even. Just as he began to start speaking again though, she cut him off.

"Gibbs, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself. I don't need you babying me, okay?" and with that, Abby snapped her phone shut. Staring at the screen for a moment or two, her cheeks flushed both in anger and regret at what she had said. She wouldn't take it back though.

He was treating her like a child – _his_ child, and that's the one thing that Abby never wanted from him. She could handle being on the sidelines, she could handle being just his friend, but she would not stand for being a replacement for the daughter he lost. She was nobody's replacement, and she certainly felt far more for him than any daughter should.

-0-

Gibbs looked at his phone in confusion. Did Abby, _his_ Abby, really just hang up on him? That never happened, not with Abby. She hated it when anyone hung up without saying goodbye, especially him. So why would she do it herself then? Mentally shaking the thoughts from his head, he looked at his team currently huddled around McGee's desk. All had anxious looks on their faces, not sure what to say or do but needing his guidance.

"McGee, you got her location?" he asked in his sharp, no-nonsense voice that was used during cases. McGee glanced to his left slightly, looking to Tony and Ziva as if they possibly knew what was going on before nodding and answering in the affirmative.

"Good. DiNozzo, you're with me," he said as he made sure his badge and gun were still on him. Storming towards the elevators with purpose, he barely waited once he was through the doors for Tony to catch up.

"I'll, uh, send you the coordinates then," McGee shouted to Gibbs as the elevator doors closed with the usual chime. His fingers flew across the keyboard for a moment before he completed that task and turned to Ziva. "Do you know what's going on?"

"No, McGee, I do not," Ziva said as they both stared at the closed elevator doors. "But, I am sure that Gibbs has good reason for his actions."

"And… Abby?" he asked uncertainly.

"Gibbs will bring her back. Safe."

-0-

"Hey Jason," Abby said softly when she entered the kitchen after putting the phone in her pocket and the conversation in the back of her mind. "What can I do to help?"

"Could you keep an eye on the noodles? I need to get some seasonings from the pantry in the hall."

"Sure, no problem," she said, taking the slotted ladle and gently stirring the noodles.

Leaving the kitchen, Farrow headed down the hall. He passed the pantry without pausing and headed to a door further down, entering it and shutting the door silently behind him.

**A.N. (Part Two) – I figured I'd put this all at the end, that way you could get to what you actually came for first. No excuses, just dumb writer's block and lack of a reliable internet connection. Part of the reason for the writer's block, though, is because the last chapter didn't come out the way I had planned. Therefore, I had to alter the storyline a bit so that this chapter (and the following ones) would make sense. I'm still not completely happy with this, but an update is an update, right? Oh, and this would have been up on the first if I hadn't gotten sick and had a few fun days in the hospital… All better now though!**


	5. Confusion and Doubt

**A.N. – Sudden inspiration is pretty much how the first half of this chapter was written… the second half, as you'll probably be able to tell, came kicking and screaming as I dragged through it. Sorry if it's not the best quality, I know how I want it to turn out… but the words come out as well as they seem in my head.**

**Disclaimer: I love N.C.I.S. more than pretty much anything else… which just makes it more painful to tell you that I don't own it.**

**Chapter Five: Confusion and Doubt**

Gibbs drove himself and Tony to the location that Abby's cell had marked her at. Tony felt it wise not to make any comments about the break-neck speeds they were going at for the time being. Stop-lights and yield signs held no sway over Leroy Jethro Gibbs as he raced to save his forensic specialist from the man that he thought he'd never see again.

-0-

Abby had been stirring the noodles for a few minutes and Jason had still not returned. Confused, she turned the heat down and made sure everything would be alright for a while as she stepped away and walked down the hall that Jason had only a few minutes ago disappeared down. Not seeing him near what she assumed to be the pantry, she walked further, calling his name softly. Finally coming to what appeared to be a bedroom; she knocked on the door before entering. There Jason sat on his bed with a framed photograph in his hands and tears softly falling from his eyes.

"Jason," she said with a gasp, concern coloring her voice. "Are you alright?"

His dark grey eyes looked black as he looked up into her worried green ones. Scrubbing his face a bit, he heaved a sigh.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said in a gruff and slightly embarrassed tone. "Sorry."

Abby went to him, sitting beside him at the foot of his bed after a pause to make sure she wouldn't be pushing any boundaries. Looking at the photograph in his hands, she saw him, a woman, and a young boy all playing out in a backyard. There were other people in the background and at the edges of the frame, showing that it must have been a get-together; possibly a weekend cook out.

"Never apologize," Abby began, cutting off at the end as she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Who are they?"

"That's my brother, Mason, and his wife and son; Rebecca and Kevin."

"What happened?" she asked hesitantly.

-0-

Pulling up the dirt drive, Gibbs slammed the car into park; DiNozzo saving his head from smashing into the dashboard by throwing his hands down on it first. Both men bolted from the car, weapons in hand, and silently raced up the porch to the door. The curtains were open and they saw no movement in the house although the lights were on.

-0-

"He was in the Navy – never home. She was going to divorce him and take their son. Felt that he wasn't a good influence with how much he was gone," Jason's words were broken and disjointed but still flowed enough that Abby could understand the story he was trying to tell. "He couldn't handle it, couldn't handle her leaving him and taking his son. He snapped. Just kidnapped them and-"

He couldn't say anymore; his voice just cutting off. Abby looked at him with tears in the corners of her eyes. Wrapping her arms around him, she gave him a warm hug full of compassion.

"Did he-? They aren't-?"

"No. He was caught. Bex and Kevin left, going into Witness Protection. He got out eventually. Committed suicide a few months afterward."

"I'm so sor-" Abby began, getting cut off by muffled shouting at the front door, a loud bang sounding mere seconds after. Jason's arm wrapped around her in a protective manner as she jumped at the sudden burst of noise in surprise.

Gibbs and Tony came storming down the hall, guns drawn, finally pausing outside the open bedroom door where Tony wisely lowered his weapon and Gibbs just unleashed his almighty glare at the man with an arm wrapped around _his_ forensic specialist. As Gibbs turned his eyes to Abby, the glare dimming, he saw several emotions fleeting across her eyes. From fear, to hurt, to betrayal, and finally landing on anger.

"Why aren't you behind bars, Farrow?" Gibbs asked in his stern voice, trying to stay in control of the situation.

"Wait," Abby said slowly. "_You're_ the one that caught Mason?"

"Damnit, Abby!" Gibbs snapped. "You telling me you know what he did and you're _still_ over here?"

"Gibbs, this is Jason – his _twin brother_!"

"It's true, Agent Gibbs. If you ever looked back on my brother's file you'd see he killed himself soon after he got out." Jason's voice was tinged with anger and bitterness as he spoke to Gibbs, standing up so that he was between Abby and Gibbs in a protective stance. "My brother had made some serious mistakes in his life and when he got out he couldn't even stand _himself_."

Abby stood and reached out to Jason, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder as she went to his side. Gibbs stood there watching as Abby comforted another man; he wasn't a verbal man to begin with and at this point in time it was more than obvious that he was at a loss on what to say. Tony, standing behind him, shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other before finally speaking.

"Uh, right. Boss, I think Abby's good here." From Farrow's side, Abby gave him a look that clearly said 'you think?' and Gibbs merely holstered his weapon and swept out of the room without another word. Mouthing a quick 'Sorry, Abbs' Tony swiftly followed.

Feeling a little dizzy at the intense sudden turn the evening had taken, Abby leaned against Jason's shoulder as she tried to breathe normally.

"Well, that was interesting," he said with a smile before turning to Abby. The smile faded slightly as he took in Abby's slightly dazed expression. "Abby? Are you alright?"

"I- yeah," she said, taking a deep breath and putting on a smile.

"Still up for spaghetti?" Jason asked with a smirk. Her throaty chuckle was his answer and the two of them left the bedroom, the picture left behind on the bed.

-0-

Later that evening Gibbs lay awake in bed; the thoughts of how the evening had gone from bad to worse keeping him wide awake. He didn't know what to expect from Abby tomorrow. Normally, he enjoyed the fact that she was unpredictable, but at this point he was anxious of losing her. _'Especially when she's never even been mine,'_ he thought before turning onto his side and hoping sleep would come soon.

-0-

As Abby shut the door behind Jason, she smiled softly. He'd been such a great guy; after dinner they headed over to her apartment so he could work on her hearse. He'd fixed it up in about forty-five minutes so they sat on her couch sipping coffee for a while until he said he had to leave if he ever wanted to wake up for work tomorrow on-time. She'd walked him to the door that led from her personal apartment to the hall and just as he was about to step out after their goodbyes he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Soon enough, though, that smile turned into a frown. Just _what_ had gotten into Gibbs tonight? And how did he even see Jason to mistake him for his brother? Abby's eyes narrowed at the thought that he could be spying on her. _'No, Gibbs wouldn't do that,'_ she told herself as she headed to her bedroom. But at the back of her mind a little shadow of doubt whispered that she couldn't be sure.

**A.N. (Part Two) – Finally! It's taken me ages to get this written up. Sadly, I'm not entirely pleased but I really want to move on with the rest of the story. The preceding territory is being a pain in the butt, but I think I may be nearing the part I originally came up with when creating this story.**

**No excuses from me. I just sort of lost inspiration for a while (I **_**hate**_** writer's block). But I'm back on the Gabby train and hoping to crank out the next chapter quickly (and hopefully some drabbles and one-shots too).**


	6. I Won't Apologize

**A.N. – Don't hate me… please?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own N.C.I.S. and I'm poor. So suing me would not only be pointless, but cruel as well.**

**Chapter Six: I Won't Apologize**

The day after the dinner disaster was a Friday; which meant that so long as they didn't catch any new cases, they would have the weekend to cool off. Abby's now working hearse got her to work at her usual time where she sped through the morning routine of firing up her machines and looking over her e-mails in the meantime. She was still angry over Gibbs' actions last night, but the 'Good Morning' text from Jason had certainly lightened her mood. Looking forward to the weekend, Abby decided to ignore her anger over the previous night; it's not like it would do her any good either way.

-0-

For the first time in a very long while, Gibbs felt every day of his age. He hadn't slept a wink the night before and as the dawn's light crept through the curtains to span across his bedroom wall, he had given up. His shower had been longer than normal; so wrapped up in his thought's he'd forgotten if he washed his hair or not. Finally dressed and out the door, he still couldn't get over his behavior the night before. This wasn't like him.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was a man of action. He'd never stewed over the actions before. A mistake was a mistake... and he was often able to move on. Sure, he got hung up on some things; but regret wasn't known to be one of them. Yet all night long all he could think of was the memory of the click and silence of Abby hanging up on him; the look on her face when he'd showed up at her _date_.

Shaking his head fiercely, he gave himself a headslap that not even Tony had ever recieved.

He needed to focus. He wasn't going to get anything done at this rate. He swung into his usual coffee shop for a large black coffee and a Caf-Pow, wondering if she'd even accept it from him. As he handed the bills over the counter, he decided he'd just have to wait and see.

-0-

The elevator pinged as the doors slid open, revealing the steril hallway that led to her lab. There was no music playing yet that he could hear and Gibbs wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. The ice rattling in the plastic cup was loud to his ears, but he shrugged it off due to the unusual silence. His silent footfalls led him to Abby's lab where he saw her with her back to him, flipping the pages of a file at her desk.

"Mornin' Abbs," he said, walking straight in and setting the drink to the right side of the file as he leaned over her. She must have skipped the blow-dryer this morning as her hair was still wet, small droplets darkening the white lab coat she was in already, he noted. The file in front of her was from the Farrow case, he noticed with a slight frown. He'd pondered all night as to what he would say, and though he wasn't happy with what he'd come up with, he knew he had to address it; it wasn't something that could be just swept under the table.

"Abbs, listen," he spoke, taking a step back when she hadn't moved or said anything to acknowledge him or his greeting. She finally turned her chair to face him, her face completely blank and decidedly un-Abby-like. It made him pause.

"I'm listening, Gibbs," she said, her tone slightly impatient when he said nothing for a few moments.

"I'm not going to apologize," he said after a breath. Licking his dry lips, he quirked a smile. "You know how I feel about those." A small twitch of Abby's lips was the only response.

"I will say, though, I should have trusted you. I just... I saw his face Abby and I didn't know what to do. I didn't remember his twin... but the torment he put his family through and the threats he made..." He was silent for a few moments more as his eyes looked almost as haunted as they had when he'd spoken of his wife.

Unable to handle it, Abby reached a hand out to his unconciously crossed arms. Standing, she hugged him. How could she stay mad when it was only because he was worried about her? His arms unwrapped from around himself and he held her close.

"You know I can take care of myself, right?" Abby asked after a while, looking up at him. His eyes locked on those bright greens peeking from beneath her dark lashes.

"I know," he answered; his tone leaving it clear that he just didn't like letting her. He stepped back, letting her go. He didn't want to, but knew he had to remain professional... especially with the previous night's actions.

"You probably better head up and make sure Tony still remembers you're the boss-man, huh?" she asked, her teasing smile lighting up her eyes.

"Oh, he knows," Gibbs quipped back, brushing his hand against her cheek in the familair sign _'my girl'_. "We're good?" he asked, turning at the doorway to look at her one more time.

"Oh yeah; we're good." Her tone dipped in time with her eyebrow wiggle, pulling something in Gibbs' gut that was not danger related. He smiled as he headed back to the elevator and up to his team. Well, it rather depended on one's definition of danger, he supposed with a wicked smile.

-0-

"I'm telling you; something's going on with him and Abby. Last night was freaky. I swear he was going to rip that guys arms off for touching Abby!" DiNozzo's harsh whisper could be heard from the other side of McGee's desk where Gibbs was rounding.

"And what do you think I'll do to people not doing their work?" he countered brisquely as he strolled in and took a seat at his desk. Immediately everyone's head dipped down to look at the paperwork in front of them. Now that that was taken care of, he could get his mind back on track.

Abby and he were good again, but at the same time... he wanted more. He'd been wanting more for a while now, but held off. But seeing her last night in another man's room, comforting him... had irked something inside of Gibbs. Was this jealousy?

**A.N. (Part Two): I'm really sorry for the late update. Eheheheh... late doesn't even cover it, does it? To put it simply, I'm not up to date on NCIS and am about two seasons behind. I've had a lot going on that I'm sure no one wants to hear about and I, personally, don't really wish to go into. BUT! It's November and I've dedicated my NaNoWriMo time to catching up on this story and working on one-shots and drabbles. I will literally be in various stories for all of November, but I'm really hoping to finish this one because it's been sitting here so long and niggling at me. Thank you to anyone still reading this.**


End file.
